NaPoWriMo Poem 10

Erotic Bake Sale One Liners

once it is lined
with parchment
boil
combine
date

brandy
coffee
cocoa

let cool
occasionally press
wrap directly
reserve

dark-brown sugar
one at a time

alternating with the date
transfer to prepare
smooth top

inserted into center
comes out clean
let cool

run around edge of rack
turn right side up
let cool

glaze
light brown sugar
let cool

assemble trim
place on stand
spread date over top

drip down sides
remove the pit
make a short slit
use the tip
coax the pit

let
cool

Prompt: use a recipe to create a found poem

NaPoWriMo Poem 8

bento box

choose any two

rock & roll
curry avocado
alaskan yam
mixed ribs

choose any two

soy beans
seaweed pot sticker
diced egg rolls
poke sauce

choose two

deep fried salad
soda juice
hot & spicy beer

choose two

imported cheese ice cream
chocolate cheese
green cheese with tea

Prompt: create a poem using a menu of your choice

NaPoWriMo Poem 7

21 degrees

you are starting to see
the plan of the universe,
cardinal signs define direction,
points on the compass
sweep cobwebs from your life,
delete the people who are not supportive,
shape a new life

full moon lit
new revelations and shifts
an area of influence

turn your attention to your living
your physical space;
planets are heading to your fourth house
heavenly bodies will be in place,

entertain others
the new moon
rapid moving fire
followed by the Sun

keep your guard up
like pearls on a necklace.
a shimmering beam is positive.

an earth sign for your life.

Prompt: find your horoscope for today and write a poem using the language/text from it. I'm using the one for Capricorn over at http://www.astrologyzone.com/forecasts/monthly/capricorn.php

NaPoWriMo Poem 6

masculinity & hero making

a whirling force
has been feeding him
the unusual tests

manhood locked in
the antiquated epic

a mad scientist
superhero
godfather

laughter is the first sign
of infection
poisoning

maniacal rantings
are a cautionary tale
passed down
for generations

the legacy of his family
blends saga & lore

a radioactive relic
he learns to accept his fate

Prompt: Pick up one of the books you are currently reading. Flip it over to the back of the book and write a poem using the blurbs and info on the back cover. I'm using the back of League of Somebodies by Samuel Sattin.

NaPoWriMo Poem 5

artistic license

the wronged women
bond in the forest
with the modern world

creating stories
taking characters
spinning tales around them

a feminist commentary
she tried to seduce
delightful blasphemy

specifically thinking
of the younger generations

empowering our characters
in offshoot tales

doubt intends to put us
in touch with the muses

Prompt: grab your favorite magazine. Make a poem using words and phrases from the editor's letter. I'm using the most recent letter from Supriya Bhatnagar -- editor of The Writer's Chronicle!!!

NaPoWriMo Poem 4

untitled

in Italy
there are ways to know
what to eat, what to drink, what to leave for poison
and all these roads be luminous
tender
waiting for you to consume them like
rice & wisteria

#dear twitter
somebody blew up america...
you don't miss your water
standing in the republic of poetry
your brutal imagination
singing grace notes
from the cables of genocide
captivity
black feeling black talk black judgement

the undertaker's daughter
wants to know about your
prayers like shoes
she's Leaving Yuba City
and unfortunately, it was paradise
but, then's elsewhere

not like american smooth talkers
they are missing you, metropolis
wanting to know about your lighthead
head off & split
burning the skin, inc

Prompt: Go to your bookshelf. Record the information on the spines of each book in one section of your shelf. Use those words to write a poem. Here's a photo of the section I'm using (of course they are poetry books!!) Here's the list I used -- in the order they appear in the poem:
1. Italy by Johanna Drucker
2. What to Eat, What to Drink, What to Leave for Poison by Camille T. Dungy
3. And All These Roads Be Luminous by Angela Jackson
4. Tender by Toi Derricotte
5. Rice by Nikky Finney
6. Wisteria by Kwame Dawes
7. #dear twitter by Mahogany L. Browne
8. Somebody Blew Up America by Amiri Baraka
9. You Don't Miss Your Water by Cornelius Eady
10. The Republic of Poetry by Martín Espada
11. Brutal Imagination by Cornelius Eady
12. Grace Notes by Rita Dove
13. From the Cables of Genocide by Lorna Dee Cervantes
14. Captivity by Toi Derricotte
15. Black Feeling Black Talk Black Judgement by Nikki Giovanni
16. The Undertaker's Daughter by Toi Derricotte
17. Prayers Like Shoes by Ruth Forman
18. Leaving Yuba City by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
19. Unfortunately, it was Paradise by Mahmoud Darwish
20. then's elsewhere by Rebekah Lael Edwards
21. American Smooth by Rita Dove
22. Missing You, Metropolis by Gary Jackson
23. Lighthead by Terrance Hayes
24. Head Off & Split by Nikky Finney
25. Skin, Inc, by Thomas Sayers Ellis

NaPoWriMo Poem 3

useless us

information about you
is the information that's required

you sign up
you choose to share

you sign up
you are required to provide information

you choose to share
you choose to share

post a status update
upload a photo

comment on a friend
what's on your mind?

you choose to share
you take action
you add a friend like a page

you are in a relationship
allows us to do things
show your age whenever you interact

look at another person
send
receive

search for a friend
click
view
purchase

you took the photo
we receive data from the device you use
your friends are nearby
we receive data

you're on
you are logged in
tell us information about you
information we already have about you

data about you
we show you
suggest you
tell you

until it is no longer useful

PROMPT: Visit the Facebook privacy policy page and write a poem using the language presented there. For an added challenge, give yourself a set of parameters. For example, black out every 5th word or only use every 7th word. 

<----the policy with highlighted lines that I used

NaPoWriMo Poem 2

creative combinations


skin reflects
natural goodness
     make a fist

found in nature
internal impurities
entice the senses
     knee over toes

we think before we blend
inspire yourself
organic
     parallel to the ground

work with whole, not parts
mirror health
work with body and mind
     eyes fixed to the horizon

experience the radiance
     rose petal hibiscus
     red clover burdock
     dandelion root
     honeybush

switch sides
pause up
     love as much as we do

My prompt: find one of your favorite food items that comes in a box, package, or wrapper -- use the text from it to create a poem. Here's a photo of what I'm using for my poem today.

NaPoWriMo Poem 1

no postage necessary


first remove tape
insert anything
     sleeve
     postage
     box
     states

remove tape
report a problem
reply

remove tape
permit addressee
if necessary
to
     mail
     seal
     permit

remove envelope
visit mailer facility
do not seal envelope

please tape

no united shipping
has been prepaid

seal nearest mail

remove tape
seal



My prompt: grab a piece of junk mail and write a found poem using all (or as many as you can) of the words in it/on it!!!! I used the return envelope from Netflix. Since I wanted to mark out the words as I used them, I made a copy of the envelope. That was helpful. 

Recursive: Book-in-a-Day Wk13

Title: Recursive
Structure: Flip Pamphlet
Dimensions: 6 1/4 x 5

Another book done and done! It feels great to have the 13th book completed and to have finished before midnight.  I think that is going to be my new goal each week -- complete the book by midnight!! Sounds realistic, but my track record says otherwise :-). 

Recursive was my first (and definitely NOT last) attempt at creating a structure. That part was the most fun. Everything else I did with this book was familiar. I found it quite exhilarating to engineer a structure. Now, of course it's possible that the structure already exists in the world somewhere, but it's not one I've seen anywhere or been taught by anyone so it feels like I'm creating it from scratch. My process for creating the book is documented, but there's more than 2 hours of footage that I didn't include because for most of it, I'm rambling on as I think through the process and structural concerns inherent in this kind of task. 

For the most part, this might be my new love -- creating simple structures and using them to make art journals. Let's see where it takes me next. 

So the poem for this book was something I drafted a few years back. It seemed to be waiting for just this moment. Don't you love when that happens? The poem never had a title, so the calling the book Recursive is really a homage to what I've been telling my students for almost 20 years. Writing is recursive. It's a process that folds in on itself and can start (or restart) at any point in the cycle. I love that about writing. It makes the idea of writer's block such a myth. 

In retrospect, the process for this book was a bit overwhelming. I did a lot of things:

• created a structure for the book from scratch
• watercolored the entire book 
• cut out shaped images from upcycled monoprints I made months ago with my Gelli® Plate

So it took me a lot longer to make this book than I had anticipated. It's a good thing I started earlier in the day than usual. I think I wasn't really considering how long each piece might take me, so in the end, I wasn't very happy with the way the text and the images speak to one another on the page. I could have done a lot more with color composition and positioning if I had more time. This is one of the caveats of making a book in a day -- I want to do more than I can really do in a day once I get started. I mean, my idea starts small, but it morphs and grows as the day goes. {This is where I remind myself that it's a book made in ONE DAY and that I can easily make more of them the way I want after the fact!!}

See you next week!!This month of books should be tons of fun since it's also National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo)!! I'll be writing one poem a day. I'm posting prompts over at my facebook page and teaching an online poetry class at givinghands.ning.com. You should join in the fun and write a poem a day with me. 

I'm looking forward to what next week brings. I have a reading on Thursday night and a speaking engagement on Friday, so I'm debating whether or not I should make the book on Wednesday. Stay tuned! If you're watching the videos, I'm honored! If you're making the books, I'm intrigued, so please share here or on the Giving Hands Creative Community site.

20 Ways of Talking to Your Poem: Book-in-A-Day Wk 10

Title: 20 Ways of Talking to Your Poem

Structure: Fan Book

Dimensions: 3 ¹⁄₄ x 1 ¹⁄₈  Thickness: 1 ³⁄₁₆ 

Video of my process. 

BOOK 10 is done! It feels great to have 10 books completed. I'm enjoying this process and learning so much about myself as an artist and poet. 

This week, I took my inspiration from the workbook I've been compiling since last year. It includes daily writing exercises for poets who want to have a daily/weekly/monthly writing practice. It also includes strategies for revising poems. Originally, I had planned to release the book in February of this year. The cards would be the supplement to the book. They would be something the poet can carry around with them as they think about and ruminate on their poems. 

It was interesting to make these cards and see them come to life. The most revealing part of the process was when I condensed the information to make it fit the cards. I realized that the workbook is really close to being done and that I'm just procrastinating with moving it forward. Oh!! Procrastination!

Ten is a milestone worth celebrating and this was just the book to do it. It will be the prototype for the actual card deck that I hope to have ready before summer. 

The book (cards) act as a tool for revision. Each strategy is in a set of three (name of the strategy, quick reference for the strategy, and a revision refresher -- a detailed description of the strategy). There are 20 of them (as the title suggests). It's geared towards poets, but could easily be used by prose writers, too. 

I'm proud of this week's book because, not only is it the 10th book in the series, it's the tangible manifestation of an idea I've been carrying around for a while. And, YES, I will be making an edition of this. I'll also likely give some to folks who take my first online poetry course -- Conquering the Blank Page Using Poetry, which starts April 1st. 

This was a fairly simply book to make. I upcyled the backs from scraps of old projects so that I could create visual prompts for writing. That way, the book becomes both a tool for revision and a way to generate ideas. 

I mention this on the video, but it's worth saying again -- the screw post is much bigger than it needs to be. Either I'm being led to make it more than 20 (which I could totally do), or I just need a smaller screw post :-). Either way, it's the one thing I would change about the book. 

Finally, I wasn't up until 2 or 3 in the morning making this book. I finished before 11PM and that felt great. Maybe I'm getting it down to a science???

To see a list of materials and more photos, visit givinghands.ning.com.

I'm looking forward to what next week brings. If you're watching the videos, I'm honored! If you're making the books, I'm intrigued, so please post them to the Giving Hands Creative Community site.

See you next week for book 11!!

The Things Behind: Book-In-A-Day Wk7

Title: The Things Behind
Structure: Double Signature Pamphlet
Dimensions: 4 x 6

Video of the process.

This was another great bookmaking experience. I enjoyed the time I got to spend on content for this book. I knew I wanted to do something with black and white photos, but I didn't know which photos or what I wanted to do with them. After attending CODEX earlier in the week, I was inspired by many book artists and their work. I found myself really digging the miniature books, but I didn't want to make a mini this week. I knew I wanted to try the double signature pamphlet. I'm planning on making a few blank art journals using this structure (do you smell a give-a-way?) so I thought I should create an actual book using it first.

At CODEX, I got the chance to experience a book created by my dear friend, Lyall Harris. Her book, The Indistinguishable Bones, inspired me to look at black and white photos as my springboard. I had a ton of fun journeying down memory lane with my old photos.

Eventually, I felt drawn to a pattern (I talk about this in the video), so I let that guide me. A good deal of my time was spent selecting old photos, scanning them into a digital format, and manipulating them using Preview and MS Word. Then, I had to figure out how to get them on the page the way I envisioned.

Once I printed out the first set of photos on plain printer paper, I sat with them, examining and brainstorming. I spent time writing the text and twice as much time revising. And in the end, I did a happy dance because I love the way the photos inform the text and vice versa.

But getting to that point was not easy. I toiled over the words and it took them a while to come. In the video, I talk about using strategies to help me arrive at the content for this book. One of the things I did was make lists.

I started with the color versions of the photos and listed all the colors that stood out. That list became my descriptors. Then I wrote freely while trying to use those descriptors when it felt right. It was an organic process, a lot like my art journaling. In the end, the writing gave me direction for how to order the photos in the signatures and how to pair them with the text.

One of the great elements of this book was how easy it was to assemble once all the pieces were in place. I mean, once I fumbled around with the formatting and printing :-). All the work is done up front and I can easily reproduce this book if I want to edition it.

Since I started learning book art, I thought I'd be someone who editions books. I wasn't really a fan of the one-of-a-kind book, but recently, I've found a lot of appreciation for them, so I'll continue to explore both book types throughout the year.

What I learned during the making of this book: 

• Paper selection is key. The wrong paper can make or break the book. 
• My printer is a little bit evil (or I just need to spend more time with it).
• The way we view a photograph changes as we grow and live and experience life in motion. 
• I love sewing paper. It's calming. 
• My printer cannot do a full bleed print, no matter how much I beg.
• I need a better paper cutter. I'm planning to buy this one: x-acto laser trimmer 
• When the content doesn't come easily, change your perspective. 

To see a list of materials I used for this project, please join the free community at givinghands.ning.com. 

I'm looking forward to what next week brings. If you're watching the videos, I'm honored! If you're making the books, I'm intrigued, so please post them to the flickr group or on the Giving Hands Creative Community site (where you can view the list of materials I use and see more photos). 

See you next week!!

The Next Big Thing

A huge thank you to Arielle Guy for tagging me in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. Here are my responses:

What is the working title of your book (or story)? The working title is Legion of Matriarchs.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
These poems have lived inside me for generations. They come from the voices of all the women who raised me, from their lives, their stories, their love, loss, shame, and pain. As a southern woman, I'm intimately familiar with the idea of a matriarch, so the poems in this book come from my experiences, the stories I grew up hearing, and the future I hope to see for the generation of women coming up behind me. They also come from the many conversations I've had with women over the years and their stories of how shame impacts their lives.

What genre does your book fall under? Poetic memoir

What songs would be in the soundtrack for your book?
“Closer to My Dreams” by Goapele
"Talk to Her" by India Aire
"Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley
"I Gotta Find Peace of Mind" by Lauryn Hill
"I'll be There For You" by Mary J. and Method Man
"Dead N* Blvd. Pt. 1" by Me'Shell Ndegeocello
"Hypnotic Love" by Maysa
"Southernplayalisticadilacmuzik" by Outkast
"Scandalous" and "Insatiable" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and "The Beautiful Ones" by Prince
"Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte" by Regina Carter
"Angels" by Richard Smallwood
"Mary Jane" by Rick James
"Maybe Angels" and "If It Makes You Happy" by Sheryl Crow
"Functional" by Thelonious Monk
"I'll Take You There" by The Staples
Anything by Marvin Gaye, Al Green, The Commodores
And too many others to list...

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Six generations of women, with Shame" as their general, attempt to navigate life, love, and family politics as if it were a war and their lives depended on it.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I plan to submit the manuscript to contests, open readings, and prizes.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took about a year for the first draft. Now the revisions and such? That's another story.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Mostly, I was inspired by my niece, Khalia, and all the women in the generation behind me. I also took a lot of inspiration from my nephews, Treavor, Telvin, Cameron, and Connor. Watching them break, bend, and believe some of the cycles they men have been in, both breaks my heart and gives me hope. I write for them, their wives, and their daughters. Basically, many of the poems were inspired by my desire to break the cycles of shame and silence in my family and to give voice to other women who have experienced similar histories.

The poems are also informed a great deal by Sun Tzu's, The Art of War, Robert Greene's, The 48 Laws of Power, the Farmer's Almanac, and a ton of old wives' tales.  

What else about your book might pique a reader’s interest?
Shame is an actual character in the narrative thread. She speaks, threatens, teaches, manipulates, and encourages.

My tagged writers are: 
Cynthia Dewi Oka
Meg Day
Sam Sattin
Ebony Noelle Golden
Vanessa Matir
Remica L. Bingham

Midnight at the Oasis: Book-In-A-Day Wk5

Title: Midnight at the Oasis
Structure: Wraparound Pamphlet
Dimensions: Closed -- 4 ²⁄₈ x 6 ²⁄₈
Fully Extended -- 19 ²⁄₈ x 6 ²⁄₈
It's week five and I have complete another book-in-a-day. This journey has already been so much more than I could have expected. Each week I wonder if I'll be able to make another book that I'm pleased with and each week, I am able to create something that I feel really proud of. This week five book is no exception.

Click here for the video of my process.

Midnight at the Oasis is a wraparound pamphlet book structure. I had forgotten about this structure until I had a conversation with my husband about wanting to create a book that could be sewn but where the sewing would not be visible. He remembered seeing a blank one that I made in a class with Julie Chen at Mills College. I had to dig back through my blank book stash and there it was!!

I adore this structure and will likely make a blank art journal to give-a-way in the next Giving Hands give-a-way and, of course, I'll make one to use as an art journal.

So the process for making this book was really organic in that I selected a really old poem and spent several hours reworking it and revising it. Once it felt right for me, I spent some time journaling about the poem to see what came up for me. (Yep, that's my process.)

What came up was something I spend time working with when I have creative clients who can't seem to move past their "block". I don't believe in writer's block or artist's blocks. I do believe that we have creative lulls in our lives and that those lulls can seem like blocks. Exploring that line of thinking made me really go deep to figure out why I don't believe in "blocks" and this book is what emerged from that space.

In the end, this book made it to the number two spot on my list of favorites so far. I think I enjoyed the process so much because of the time I spent revising and thinking about my poetry. 

Other things I realized during the making of this book:

• My heat tool is invaluable.
• The scoring board is a magnificent tool.
• I like shimmery paints.
• Simple can be beautiful. 

One of the biggest revelations I had this week was that I am starting to let go of the implanted idea of perfection that I've had for so long. This book felt freeing (as did all the others I've made so far) and I realized that when I let go of the idea of perfection as defined by others, I end up loving the result much more than I could have imagined. 

I'm looking forward to what next week brings. If you're watching the videos, I'm honored! If you're making the books, I'm intrigued, so please post them to the flickr group or on the Giving Hands Creative Community site (where you can view the list of materials I use and see more photos). See you next week!!

Urbanite: Book-in-a-Day Wk4

Urbanite cover

Title: Urbanite
Structure: 8 panel accordion with pockets 
Dimensions: 6 x 4 1/4 (closed) / 34 inches expanded

Click here for the video of my process.

This week's book is my favorite so far. I had a great time making it and working with the content that eventually ended up in it. The book is a homage to my journey to Oakland, CA from Jacksonville, FL in 2008. 

Oakland gets a bad wrap from folks who have never lived here. They see images on television or go on what they have heard others say and they don't realize that Oakland is an amazing place to live. But the book isn't really about that. It's actually about how a "southern/country gal" like me moved to the city and found herself. It's about how the city almost broke me during the first two years, but in that breaking, I was rejuvenated in so many ways. 

Urbanite, cards out

Most of my time in the first 24 months here were spent in transit between our apartment, Mills College, San Francisco, and all the places in between. I learned about Oakland from the people I met and sat beside on the bus, the Bart, and the shuttles. They were a huge part of my breaking and my strengthening. 

Urbanite, open spread

Urbanite is an accordion style book with pockets that hold poetic musings about the city and my time in it between 2008 and 2010. I loved the way this book was born out of my process with the book-in-a-day series. When I started creating the pages, I didn't have any content in mind. I allowed the artistic process to guide me and it did. It's not what I had in mind when I woke, but I could not have planned it better. I LOVE THIS BOOK. 

Urbanite, page spread

For more photos and a list of materials I used, please visit the givinghands.ning.com site. 

What I Learned During the Making of This Book:

• all ribbons are not created equal
• mixed media paper and 140lb watercolor paper are drastically different
• typing on a typewriter makes you more aware of each and every letter you're using. It makes you pause and think before you "write". 
• I like rounded corners.
• spray inks are beautifully unpredictable
• staring BIAD at 2:40 in the afternoon is NOT the best idea
• the accordion with pockets might be my new favorite structure (but there's 48 more books to make :-)

If you're watching the videos, I'm honored! If you're making the books, I'm intrigued, so please post them to the flickr group or on the Giving Hands Creative Community site (where you can view the list of materials I use and see more photos). See you next week!!